On Saturday 11th July, a seventeen-strong team from Colchester Institute took part in Running Wild, fundraising for their Charity of the Year, Essex Wildlife Trust.
The event brought colleagues from across teaching and business support areas together to support an important local cause that has been the College’s Charity of the Year throughout the academic year. Staff and students have dedicated the year to fundraising through a range of initiatives, including quiz nights and raffles. Supporting Essex Wildlife Trust also reflects the College’s ongoing wholehearted commitment to sustainability and protecting the local environment, acknowledged in their Sustainability strategy that was launched last year.
Held at the Wild Forest Obstacle & Activity Centre, staff took on a course packed with muddy trails, climbing obstacles and team challenges. From helping each other over obstacles to cheering teammates on, everyone tackled the course together. The event was a fantastic display of teamwork, with every participant crossing the finish line and no one left behind.
Thanks to the incredible generosity of supporters, the team exceeded its fundraising target by over 10%, raising more than £2,300 for Essex Wildlife Trust. These funds, combined with the money raised through the College’s Charity of the Year activities, have brought the total amount raised for Essex Wildlife Trust to over £6,000 during the year.
Gary Horne, Deputy Chief Executive said ”Coming just days after our sustainability Marketplace event where every department in the College showcased their climate action projects, as difficult as the challenges were, this event turned into a celebration of all the great work that has been done this year to raise awareness and move the dial on sustainability. I could not be more proud of the collective response to the call to action as set out in the strategy we launched last year”
“Nature needs our help and we are delighted to do all we can to support the County’s leading conservation charity, and the largest wildlife trust in the UK, protect wildlife and restore habitats”
